The Meghalaya High Court has today asked the State government to submit a report on measures to address the daily traffic jam in Shillong city.
The division bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh was hearing the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a local lawyer Philip Khrawbok Shati who pointed out the traffic congestion in the city, particularly around the central business district and Kachari area.
Shati in his PIL complained that pregnant women had to deliver inside cars or critical patients dying without being able to reach hospitals or school children failing to reach school on time. He said that at times there are long queues as a result of irregular parking or far too many cars than the roads may be able to bear.
The State government through its lawyer however told the court that the traffic in Shillong is a problem and it is magnified by the fact that this being a hilly area, alternative roads may not be easily carved out and a large chunk of the land around central Shillong is defence land.
On this the High Court said, “There is no denying that the traffic needs to be regulated. While the specific measures that need to be taken cannot be dictated by the court, the present state of affairs cannot be permitted to continue. Whether it is by constructing bypasses as a long-term measure or making some streets one-way as a short term measure or regulating the number of cars or even staggering school timings so they do not clash with the office working hours, some measures need to be thought of. Every day, the major traffic on even the Guwahati-Shillong highway comes to a standstill and queues of more than 3 km of stalled cars are a common sight. It is the same for the road leading to Sohra (Cherrapunjee) and getting into or out of Shillong is a virtual nightmare.”
The High Court also said that the police authorities along with the State and local administration should adopt immediate measures to ease the traffic in Shillong, particularly around the central business district and the entry and exit points.
The court also directed the State government to furnish a report indicating the immediate measures proposed to be adopted to ease the traffic snarls which are an everyday affair in this fast growing city.
“The report should be prepared by the third respondent in consultation with the Superintendent of Traffic Police here and other appropriate authorities including the respondent Nos. 12, 14, 15, and 16,” the High Court said.
The High Court also said that no effective traffic management may be possible unless hawkers are regulated and are removed from the carriageways.
It also said that random parking of cars has to be checked and areas slightly away from congested places should be earmarked for parking.
“It is equally possible that certain areas be reserved strictly for pedestrian traffic and altogether closed for regular traffic,” the court said while also listing the next hearing of the PIL on February 8, 2022.
